Independent source recording

• US 7,787,974 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2005
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verint Americas Incorporated (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Verint Americas Incorporated (Verint Systems Incorporated)
• Inventors: Heap, Richard Laurence, Blair, Christopher Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Flanders; Andrew C
• Application Number:
  US11/129,811
• Publication Number:
  US 20060150229A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,933 Days
• Field of Search: 379/88.22, 379/112.01, 379/113, 381/119, 704/201, 704/207, 704/208, 704/246, 704/251, 700/94
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10527 Audio or video recording; Data buffering arrangements G11B20/12 - G11B20/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10546 specifically adapted for audio data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6505 storing speech in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/656 for recording conversations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0012 Details of application programming interfaces [API] for telephone networks; Arrangements which combine a telephonic communication equipment and a computer, i.e. computer telephony integration [CPI] arrangements

Abstract

Systems and methods for recording multiple channels of incoming data. A system and method can receive data streams from a number of sources and distribute the data streams to a number of users. The plurality of data streams are stored in a storage device for later redistribution.

Claims

1. A device configured to operate upon a server and to record multiple channels of incoming data, the device comprising:

distribution logic operable to receive information from a plurality of sources, the information including settings retrieved from the plurality of sources, the plurality of sources producing a plurality of data streams, the distribution logic being configured to distribute the plurality of data streams and settings to a plurality of workstations having addresses, the distribution logic using the addresses to distribute the data streams; and

recording logic configured to reproduce the plurality of data streams, the recording logic being configured to transmit each of the plurality of data streams and the settings along with identification fields comprising the recipient workstation addresses and source addresses of the data streams for storage in a storage device as each of the plurality of data streams are received and distributed by the distribution logic to the plurality of workstations;

wherein the stored data streams and the stored settings are retrieved from the storage device through the use of the identification fields that are stored with the data streams, wherein the retrieved data streams are provided based upon a request, and

wherein the workstations have an address and are operable to receive data streams from the distribution logic in accordance with the address, and wherein the recording logic is operable to specify the source levels in the settings such that the independent recordings of the plurality of data streams can be later recreated in accordance with what the user heard in real-time.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a primary storage device operable to receive the plurality of data streams from the recording logic and store the plurality of data streams to a non-volatile memory, the plurality of data streams being operable to be subsequently retrieved.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

a secondary storage device operating in parallel to the primary storage device, receiving the plurality of data streams from the recording logic and storing the plurality of data streams as a transient copy in a volatile memory, the secondary storage device being operable to delete the transient copy upon receiving a signal from the primary storage unit.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a storage area network operable to receive the plurality of data streams from the recording logic and store the plurality of data streams to a non-volatile memory.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein a single copy of each different data stream is recorded to a non-volatile memory by the recording logic so as to avoid superfluous copies of the plurality of data streams.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the recording logic records the plurality of data streams independently using a compression algorithm, the compression algorithm comprising a process operable to efficiently compress a human voice based upon modeling the human voice.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the compression algorithm compresses the plurality of data sources to about 8 kilobits per second or lower.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the compression algorithm is a G.729 standard for voice compression.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the workstations operable to mix the data streams according to source levels set by a user associated with the workstation.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the recording logic is coupled to the plurality of workstations.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising playback logic operable to retrieve a plurality of recorded data streams and source levels associated with one of the plurality of users, mix the plurality of recorded data streams responsive to the plurality of source levels associated with one of the plurality of users, and output the result of the mixing to a speaker.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the user can adjust the source levels during a session, and the recording logic is operable to record the source levels during and after the user adjusts the source levels.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the recording logic is further operable to record the source of the plurality of data streams enabling the recording logic to reduce superfluous copies of the plurality of data streams.

14. A method of recording a plurality of audio sources for archival and subsequent retrieval, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a plurality of audio sources, the plurality of audio sources being respectively associated with inputs and outputs from a plurality of users;

distributing the plurality of audio sources respectively to a plurality of workstations associated respectively with the plurality of users;

independently recording each of the plurality of sources to a storage device for subsequent playback as each of the plurality of data streams are received and distributed, thereby reducing superfluous recordings of a particular source among the plurality of audio sources; and

recording the plurality of audio level settings for a user along with an association with the plurality of audio sources, such that the independently recorded audio sources can be used to reconstruct an audio signal substantially similar to an original mixed signal heard by the user.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of:

recording in parallel the plurality of audio sources on a primary storage system and a secondary storage system, the primary storage system being operable to write the recording to non-volatile memory, and the secondary storage system being operable to write a transient recording to volatile memory.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the secondary storage system is operable to perform the steps of:

removing the transient recording from volatile memory responsive to receiving a signal from the primary storage system;

storing the transient recording in non-volatile memory otherwise.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of independently recording the plurality of sources for subsequent playback comprises recording a single instance of the plurality of audio sources for subsequent playback.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a plurality of audio level settings from a workstation associated with the user, the audio level settings being associated with the plurality of audio sources to be received by a particular user; and

mixing the plurality of audio sources associated with the user responsive to the plurality of audio level settings.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

retrieving the plurality of audio sources and the plurality of audio level settings from storage;

mixing the plurality of audio sources responsive to the plurality of audio level settings; and

playing back the result of the mixing step.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of compressing the plurality of sources prior to the recording step using a compression algorithm, the compression algorithm comprising a process operable to efficiently compress a human voice based upon modeling the human voice.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the compression algorithm compresses the plurality of data sources to about 8 kilobits per second or lower.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the compression algorithm is a G.729A standard for voice compression.

23. One or more non-transistory computer readable media having software program code for recording voice traffic associated with a plurality of operator workstations, the program code comprising:

distribution logic operable to receive a plurality of audio streams, the streams being associated with at least one of the plurality of operators, distribution logic being further operable to distribute the plurality of audio streams to those operators associated with the plurality of audio streams;

recording logic operable to tap the plurality of audio streams, the recording logic being further operable to record each of the plurality of audio streams independently to a storage device for subsequent playback as each of the plurality of audio streams are distributed by the distribution logic to the plurality of operators, wherein a number of superfluous copies of the plurality of audio streams is avoided; and

mixing logic coupled to the plurality of audio streams being distributed to the operator, the mixing logic being operable to mix the plurality of audio streams being distributed to the operator in accordance with a plurality of audio level settings set by the operator,

wherein the recording logic is further operable to record the plurality of audio level settings and the audio streams with which the audio level settings are associated, such that a signal originally heard by the operator can be later reconstructed, using the plurality of audio level settings and the plurality of independently recorded audio streams.

24. The non-transistory computer readable media of claim 23, wherein the recording logic is further operable to record the users with whom the plurality of data streams is associated.

25. A method of recording transactions in a trading room environment, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a plurality of data streams from sources used by traders while making trades;

identifying a recipient trader for the plurality of data streams;

distributing the data stream to the identified recipient trader;

recording the data streams destined for the identified recipient trader with a designation of the identified recipient trader and settings associated with a source used by the identified recipient trader, each of the data streams and settings being recorded on a storage device configured for retrieval of stored data streams as each of the data streams are received and distributed to the identified recipient trader, and to provide the stored data streams over a network to one or more workstations based upon a request that uses the designation; and

wherein the recording step further comprises reducing superfluous copies of the data streams and storage space used by the storage device, and

wherein each of the data streams are recorded having independent source levels specified in the settings such that each of the data streams can be later recreated in accordance with what the identified recipient trader heard in real-time.